Wagon or other vehicle



(No Modeli E. W. LOOMIS.

.WAGON OR OTHE VEHIGLE.

No. 585,768. Patented July 6,189'7.

NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR VV. LOOMIS, O F ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

wAooN oR oTHE R vEHloLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,768, dated July 6,1897. Application filed July 6, 1896. erial No. 598,186. (No model.)

To all whom, it may conccrn:

Be it known that I, EDGAR W. LooMIs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elgin, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vagons or other Vehiclesand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of wagons and other Vehicles incommon use.

My invention consists in a ball or sphere, of metal or other suitablematerial, which is made to occupy hemispherical cups or cavities,one-half of its diameterin each, said cavities being formed,respectively, in the upper and lower surfaces of two rectangular platesof eqnal dimensions, the ball or sphere being mounted on one end of arod or shaft.

It further consists of a ball or sphere mounted on said rod, loosely orotherwise, and so arranged as to support the front end of the bed, andon which the front end of the bed is permitted a lateral or side motion.

It further consists in the mechanism and devices more fully describedand claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of theforward portion of a wagon-body having my devices; Fig. 2, an invertedplan; Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical sectional view through center ofthe hemispherical cup-plates; Fig. 4, a longitudinal Vertical sectionalview through center of thill-coupling; Fig. 5, a top plan ofthillcoupling; Fig. a longitudinal Vertical sectional view throughcenter of bracket and end of connecting-rod, and Fig. 7 a plan ofbracket and connected end of rod.

In the drawings, A and B designate rectangular Companion bed-plates,having at their inner surfaces hemispherical cups or cavities b,intowhich is placed a ball or sphere O, which fits the cavity Z) loosely,allowing a free motion of the same;

E is a rod or shaft upon one end of which is mounted the ball O, and towhich is attached stay-rods G Gr near the ball, the opposite ends of thestay-rods being secured to the front aXle I. Duplex springs H I'I areplaced each side of the axle, and between the sprngs a ball or sphereLis mounted loosely or otherwise on the rod or shaft E, upon which thefront end of the wagon-bed rests and upon which it is permitted alateral movement. i

The bed-plates A and B are secured to each other by bolts in such arelative position that each plate embraces one-half the diameter of theball C in its circular cavity, the front surfaces lof the plates beingcut away to allow free lateral motion of the rod E.

D is a bracket preferably attached to the bottom of the wagon-bed; F,the rod, which, provided with a kn ob f or enlargement on its end,connects the bracket to the rear axle. The bracket D is hollowed out inthe back side, leaving an opening (Z, through which the rod F is passed.

The wagon-bed K rests centrally in the ball O, which constitutes thepoint of resistance in the draft of the vehicle, and the motive power isapplied to the front axle I by means of the shaft M, having the ball endM' and the clip N, which is composed of two parallel pieces, and havinga base of the same general shape and diinensions inserted between themwhich rests4 upon a lever-spring h and is permitted to osciilate on acenter pin n. As the front end of the bar e is pressed down it opens theloop or hook S and permits the ball of the shaft to drop into the loopor hook, where it is held in place by the reaction of the spring Z.

It will be seen that in this manner of the construction of a wagon orother vehicle the ball O performs the functions of both kingbolt andfifth-wheel as wagons are `usually constructed.

l-Iaving thus fully explained and described my said invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a wagon or other vehicle the ball O mounted on a rod E, thebed-plates A and B provided with hemispherical cavities b, the' ball Lmounted on the rod E, all constructed and Operating in the manner andfor the purposes herein set forth and described.

In testirnony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR W. LOOMIS.

Witnesses: W. T. DENNIs,

J. 0. BooNn.

